Microsoft Word final-current Developments at the Intersection of British Children-online-version doc

1.1
 
Outline and aim of the project 
Against the background of the current upsurge and popularity of fantasy in general, 
fantasy for children has become topical again. Just like fantasy for adults, fantasy for children 
has long been ignored and intentionally excluded from national and/ or high literature. Its 

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fancy worlds, topics, characters and addressees were considered unfit for serious study. Said 
to be lacking complexity and literary quality, i.e. status, the entire field of children’s literature 
was labelled literature for beginners and got pushed aside into the corner of pedagogical early 
education. Instead of postulating a traditional strict segregation between a prestigious, elitist 
and possibly sterile literature for adults on the one hand and a base, vulgar one for children on 
the other hand, it is far more beneficial to acknowledge that children’s literature is literature 
after all and needs to be treated as such. Adult “high literature” and children’s literature are 
not incompatible or alien to each other. On the contrary: They have more in common than 
many think or consider safe to admit. In their increasing mutual points of contact lies dormant 
a potential which should be nurtured instead of ignored. However, at the turn of the 
millennium, fantasy has succeeded in firmly establishing itself as a discipline in its own 
respect. Whereas it may still be eyed suspiciously by some institutions, fantasy has cast off its 
stigma and emancipated itself.
At this point of the actual discussion our study sets in. Its aim will be a topographical 
one, namely projecting to survey and sketch a first rough draft of a map of the present 
territory of British children’s fantasy. Given the hundreds of publications of fantasy novels for 
children in Britain each year, this work strives to present a cross-section of the dynamic field 
rather than a complete inventory. Among other things, more detailed stocktaking requires 
some temporal distance for the examination and evaluation of a huge dynamic field. So 
instead of claiming utopian completeness, the pioneering feat of the present format is fully 
intentional, with a view to providing a general idea and initiatory guidance as well as 
impulses for future research.
An overview of historically important developments and their influence on current 
children’s fantasy introduces the topical discussion. The main part of this study is concerned 
with establishing the present position of British children’s fantasy and exploring its 
contemporary contents, boundaries and specific characteristics. On the basis of our findings 
we can then venture a careful prognosis about the possible direction(s) in which children’s 
fantasy is heading.
So far no publication has comprehensively analysed the current developments of 
British children’s fantasy novels under the formulation of the topic. Certainly a great many 
books are being investigated. Also, singular phenomena are examined or specialist theories 
applied. In addition to comparative approaches to works and their translations extensive 
encyclopedias are drawn up. However, this does not go into the particular developments in the 

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field of British fantasy novels for children. This is where the present study seeks to make its 
contribution.
The focus of the topical research is shifting noticeably from a longstanding theoretical 
one towards a more practically oriented alignment. Accordingly, this study focuses on
concrete phenomena. In order to be able to present a more neutral cross-section of the genre, I 
consciously fade out literary theories. With the help of this corpus or similar corpora future 
studies will then be able to apply literary approaches and methods to analyse specific 
phenomena. In the following, I would like to concentrate especially on three main areas of 
interest. These are, firstly, the discussion of traditional elements; secondly, modern elements 
and, thirdly, innovations in the field of the British fantasy novel for children. These three 
areas are subdivided into individual aspects, in the light of which the current situation and 
developments shall be demonstrated. While doing so, textual and stylistic but also moral 
phenomena are being analysed. Unlike many other works in the field, these selected areas are 
not determined by one or more set theories. Rather, the aim is to present and interpret the 
findings as neutral as possible. By offering a first, more open overview, future studies by 
various disciplines can be facilitated. However, the field is already wide. Boosted by the 
sustained boom current British children’s fantasy witnesses especially around the turn of the 
millennium, it enlarges constantly further. Its vastness holds not only advantages in the form 
of diversity and inventiveness but it can also be a source of confusion and wooliness. What 
distinguishes the present approach from others is therefore its conscious admission that a 
complete stocktaking, desirable and needed as it would be, cannot and shall not be 
accomplished in this study. Rather, it is a matter of working out and analysing exemplary 
contents, forms and characteristics of one specific, tightly outlined area. By attaching great 
importance to introducing more structure and thus clarity in the analyses splintering in just 
this area may be prevented. 
Fantasy as subject matter offers the mentioned vast field with a large number of yearly 
publications. Widely read, it is highly topical and carries increasingly social, philosophical, 
ethical and depth psychological implications. What makes studying fantasy such an 
interesting task is not simply its own potential but also its
importance for its readers. Since 
fantasy literature mirrors, digests and comments upon the state of society, or, in the wider 
sense, of humankind in general, the impetus it can have
on its readers’ self-image and world 
view should not underestimated. As a strong genre, fantasy unites. Received as it is by young 
and old alike, it also supersedes social strata. As a result, the discussion of fantasy is diverse, 
animated and offers a broad spectrum for analyses of every kind.

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In summary, the aim of this project is to portray the current developments of British 
fantasy for children. At the same time, it is my endeavour to offer a platform for future 
discussion and research of new children’s fantasy. I am aware of the inherent yet ineluctable 
limitations of the scope of work. Nevertheless, it is just these gaps which underline and 
corroborate the urgency of further research.